An exciting, high-performance flying wing with a focus on fun!
Written by Jon Barnes
Photos by the author.
Read the entire review in the March 2014 issue ofModel Aviation.
Google the word “Hadron” without adding the filtering name “Flyzone” and the search query will return page after page of scientific information about subatomic particles, a large linear accelerator, and similar data. When my favorite delivery person dropped a Hadron on my front porch, the box was anything but subatomic in size!
Given the scientific roots of the word Hadron, its AeroCell composition surfaces are appropriately adorned with a nifty graphics scheme that is ambiguously high-tech. Many of the words are written in a Cyrillic-looking script, although I suppose they could be real Russian words or phrases. In any event, the bright red, gray, and black graphics make the Flyzone Hadron look every bit the part of some high-tech fighter aircraft from the future.
Flyzone suggests that this model is best suited for pilots with advanced skills. Watch the factory video, which shows it doing some wicked flat spins and other violent rotational maneuvers, and you begin to understand the company’s reasoning.
Construction
The 16-page, black and white, photo-illustrated assembly manual feels suspiciously brief when held in one’s hands, but it contains all of the necessary information to get the Hadron assembled and airborne. The removable canopy fits snugly enough to the airframe, but if you plan to run a 4S battery, Flyzone includes and recommends using additional canopy retention. This under-canopy hook provides an anchoring point to which a thick rubber band, which is first looped under the longitudinal carbon spar glued to the bottom of the fuselage centerline, can be attached. My Hadron’s all-up weight came in at 30.8 ounces when outfitted with a 3S 2,200 mAh LiPo battery, while a 4S 2,200 mAh pack bumped this weight up to 33 ounces. Running both versions across my Eagle Tree eLogger yielded approximate readings of 300 watts on a freshly charged 3S pack, and slightly more than 500 watts on a 4S pack! Don’t forget to use the smaller 5 x 5 propeller when running the 4S!Image
A Tactic TR624 SLT-compatible six-channel receiver is used to guide the Hadron.
Image
Flyzone leaves nothing to chance on this high-performance aircraft. The rudder pushrod is firmly attached to the rudder control horn with a small screw.
Image
The powerful 35-36 2,200 kV brushless outrunner motor, 40-amp ESC, servo-powered thrust-vectoring unit, rudder servo, and receiver are all tidily tucked under the plastic turtledeck.
Flying
Given the Hadron’s lack of landing gear, I took it to my favorite grass field for the first flights. I like not having landing gear because it helps keep the loading on this airplane on the lighter side. After range checking the Tactic radio gear on-site and double-checking all control surface deflections, I was ready to begin flight testing. If you fly the Hadron from a hard surface, Flyzone’s landing skid plates on the underside of the flying wing will help minimize any damage to the airframe when sliding across a concrete runway. With a little practice, the Hadron can be landed with practically zero ground speed. Before I can discuss the landings, I probably should first get it into the air! And getting the Hadron aloft requires a hand launch. There is no need to overthink the hand launch. The Hadron has plenty of wing area and its power system provides plenty of power. When launching the Hadron, remind yourself to follow through when releasing it. I mentally remind myself that my launch motion should end with my hand aimed at the point toward which I want the Hadron to be traveling when it leaves my hand. The finger grips molded into the foam on the bottom of the Hadron make it easy to get a good grip on the aircraft. An alternate launch technique used on flying wings is one that eliminates any chances of the propeller carving its way across the back of your hand. Grasp the wing’s LE and use a side-arm toss to throw it forward in an arc-like motion. I set the vectored thrust mix to rudder only and use low rates when launching. With the power at nearly full throttle, the Hadron has the forward velocity required to give the control surfaces authority. I normally use the elevator trim to dial in a little reflex when flying a delta-wing model, but I found that this was unnecessary with the Hadron. Although I started with a 3S battery, speed junkies may want to jump straight to the 4S pack! After the Hadron was trimmed out, I selected the mix that uses both the rudder and the vectored thrust unit. The Hadron is almost completely neutral when flipped on its back. Inverted flight required slight down-elevator. Much of the buzz about this model is its ability to routinely perform some of the slickest flat spins you may ever see. The assembly manual suggests that one way to toss the Hadron into the spin cycle is to go to full throttle and establish a vertical climb. When in the vertical, slam both control sticks upward and outward. I did that and the Hadron instantly began to spin. After a few revolutions, I released the right stick but maintained the position of the left stick. The Hadron’s spin accelerated to a dizzying rate. The Hadron looked like a Chinese throwing star that somehow got stuck in a vacuum, furiously spinning in place with no forward momentum! I exited the spin by releasing the rudder input, which eventually allowed the Hadron to drop its nose and fly out of it. Subsequent trips though the heavenly blender at times saw the Hadron reluctant to stop spinning. Applying opposite rudder seemed to expedite canceling the rotation, but the Hadron surprised me a few times by exiting the maneuver inverted, which is why this model is best suited for advanced pilots. The Hadron is stable and predictable, but the extreme maneuvers made possible by the thrust-vectoring unit will definitely get the adrenaline going and evoke bouts of nervous laughter as you work to transition back to normal flight! This model’s performance envelope is notably wide. Although it rips across the skies with a vengeance when the throttle is at 100%, it can also be flown at the opposite end of the throttle quadrant! I was duly impressed at the Hadron’s slow-speed flight capabilities. My first few landings saw me coming in too high with too much energy. The Hadron floated right past, reluctant to drop to the grass! Its stall is soft—almost nonexistent. I was able to spot land it at my feet by killing the throttle while still a distance out on final, and then slowing it with liberal applications of up-elevator. This style of landing is probably best for those who plan to fly the model at paved fields. The near lack of forward momentum as the Hadron plops to the ground should nicely preserve the AeroCell underbelly.Image
Comments
Add new comment